BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - For the first time in 679 days the Illinois Wesleyan University baseball team will play on its home field when the Titans host the Knights of Wartburg College in a non-conference doubleheader Saturday, March 13. The 12 p.m. first pitch will mark IWU's first home game since May 4, 2019 when the Titans hosted Carthage at Jack Horenberger Field.

IWU enters its home-opening weekend sporting a 3-3 record, most recently dropping a three-game set at No. 7 WashU. Like Illinois Wesleyan, Wartburg is .500 on the year and comes into the weekend with a 2-2 record. 

IWU is led offensively by junior Evan Ranneklev (Naperville, Ill.-Neuqua Valley), freshman Will Kafer (Bloomington, Ill.-Normal West), and juniors Dominic DiLello (Springfield, Ill.-Sacred Heart Griffins) and Jack Schneider (Naperville, Ill.-Benet Academy). Ranneklev, who leads the team with 11 hits, boasts a .440 batting average. Kafer is hitting .381 with eight hits, including a homerun, while DiLello and Schneider pace the Titans with five RBIs apiece.

Senior pitchers have led IWU so far this season, with Evan Hill (Gurnee, Ill.-Warren Township), Brady Hough (Germantown Hills, Ill.-Peoria Notre Dame), Joe Prestamer (Frankfort, Ill.-Lincoln-Way East), and Nick Watson (Normal, Ill.-Normal West) all having tossed scoreless innings. Hill and Hough have pitched three innings each and are 1-0 on the season, while Prestamer's struck out two over two relief appearances. Senior starter Quinn Gudaitis (Arlington Heights, Ill.-John Hersey) has thrown a team-high 12 innings this season, striking out 17, and has seen opponents hit just .136 against him.

Saturday's double dip will get underway with a 12 p.m. first pitch. Live stats will be available here.